In recent years, as one of the countermeasures against environmental problems, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles and the like that travel using driving force from a motor have received attention. In such vehicles, a technique of exerting control to interrupt power supply when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle has been known.
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-195255 (PTL 1) discloses a power supply system for a vehicle which realizes a normal limp-home operation of a vehicle motion system even if an abnormality occurs in communication between a control device controlling a power supply system and a control device for the vehicle motion system receiving electric power from the power supply system. The power supply system of a vehicle includes a first control device, a second control device, and a signal line connecting the first control device and the second control device to each other. The first control device includes means for controlling establishing and interrupting of an electrical connection between a power storage mechanism and an electrical load which are installed on a vehicle based on an operation by a passenger of the vehicle, means for detecting an abnormality of the signal line, means for detecting an operation by the passenger of the vehicle requesting interruption of the electrical connection, and control means for controlling the electrical connection such that the electrical connection is not interrupted until a predetermined condition on the second control device is satisfied even if the operation requesting interruption is detected when the electrical connection between the power storage mechanism and the electrical load has been established and an abnormality of the signal line is detected. The second control device includes means for controlling the electrical load actuated by electric power supplied from the power storage mechanism, means for detecting an abnormality of the signal line, and means for detecting the operation by the passenger of the vehicle requesting interruption of the electrical connection.
According to the power supply system for a vehicle disclosed in the above-described publication, even if an interruption request operation by a driver is detected, the first control device exerts control such that the electrical connection will not be interrupted until the condition on the second control device is satisfied. This enables the second control device to perform a limp-home operation normally because electric power is supplied to the electrical load. As a result, a power supply system for a vehicle which can realize a normal limp-home operation of a vehicle motion system even if an abnormality occurs in communication between a first control device controlling a power supply system and a second control device for the vehicle motion system receiving electric power from the power supply system, can be provided.